The deck essentially runs like aggro-control. You dictate the board state with removal and remove key spells with Thoughtseize and Bile Blight. Your opponent will be hard-pressed to match your intensity with the amount of removal you run. But again, it is all about card advantage and situational Magic. This application of thought is what made the deck work to begin with. You build cards with Bob, build creatures with Bitterblossom, two for one with Gatekeeper and Faerie, or beat down to hell with Persecutor and Nighthawk.
The deck is so versatile and has such a good match against many of the formats' decks to beat. It has answers to almost everything while not depleting itself out, and that's the key. You get the biggest bang for your buck and maximize the potential of each card you play. This throws an opponent for a loop because you are systematically wiping out threat after threat while actually building threats of your own. It's a fun thing to do and it is quite effective. Remember, in Legacy the game can be decided as early as turn two or three. If you can sustain these turns by gaining a clear advantage at hand and board, then you allow yourself a great chance to win. This is a philosophy for which this deck predicates itself upon: To generate card advantage early enough in the game without trading tempo for consistency at an alarming rate.
Again, cards like Dark Confidant and Bitterblossom are stagnant builders that enable you to generate advantage at the cost of life. This is offset by the swords and Nighthawk and provides a synergistic approach in how the game plays out for you. It'll almost make you feel like the Predator up in a tree counting Goyf skulls as trophies. Hard to argue with consistency.
Against decks like Merfolk and Goblins, depending on if you're on the play, you can knock out key cards with Duress and go into removal mode from there. The trick is to nullify their early counter-magic and force them to just drop a creature and say go. You have enough firepower to match forces, as there is no Island-walking going on.
